Emerald, Dreamless
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon day 3 - Finn runs into an old friend, as he contemplates how to help Quinn.


_Three week Glee hiatus, the horrors! To try and make it go by faster, I decided to do this project. I'll put up one new ficlet every day (I hope...) up to the day Glee returns! So be on the lookout! :)_

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**"Emerald, Dreamless"  
Finn**

He'd gotten the idea from Mr. Schuester, to go out looking for a book that would perhaps help him help Quinn through the next few months. Everything she was going through, he was part of it, and he was going to make sure to do right by Quinn and the baby. He knew she wasn't planning on keeping it… her, after she was born. It wasn't going to keep him from being there.

He'd stood before the row of books, growing further and further overwhelmed, for ten minutes. So, he awarded himself a break and wandered into another section of the bookstore. As he looked up, he saw over the shelf… a familiar green cap, with the "Emerald Dream" logo.

He circled around to find it was indeed him… "Darren?" The man looked up, his lips parting into a smile as he recognized the boy.

"Finn Hudson… You're taller every time…" he remarked approvingly.

Soon after, they were sitting outside the bookstore. It wasn't long before a silence set in, Finn uncertain whether or not to listen to the voice in his head that wanted to ask Darren a number of specific questions. But then…

"So, how's school? You're on the football team, I saw." Finn nodded.

"And Glee Club."

"Saw that too," Darren nodded as well. "Told you to stick with it." Finn smiled. It was stronger than him then.

"Do you have kids?" The question surprised the man, but he shrugged.

"Never got around to it, I guess."

"Do you think… maybe I could work for you?" Finn's questions didn't help end the confusion.

"I'm getting the feeling you're as lost as I am right now, if not more."

"Probably more," Finn frowned.

"What's going on?" He hesitated. Part of him worried this would get back to his mother. He hadn't told her yet, and he didn't want her to find out from someone else than him. Though he already had Mr. Schuester looking out for him and Quinn, Darren could help him with something else.

"I've been thinking it might help for me to get a job, so I can… well…"

The whole story escaped him, unrestrained in any way. It felt good to get it out, though he was slightly flushed and dazed when he was done. But it was all there. Quinn, the baby girl, the adoption… Even Rachel was mentioned, her efforts to keep the secret hidden.

"So you want a job…" Darren finally spoke.

"I need one," Finn nodded.

"In order to do what, exactly?" The question was valid… important… and yet Finn wasn't sure he'd really asked it to himself yet.

Was it bad to think about it, even if Quinn had already decided they weren't keeping it to raise? Was he crazy for not completely being sure it would be the right decision? Quinn was scared… but so was he, as much as they both did their very best to ignore it. But as much as he was scared of ending up in some dead-end job to support a family, he was more scared of the fate of this, his child, falling out of his hands.

"I just… I have to take care of them…" he spoke evenly, looking Darren in the eye, in hopes he'd see he was serious… that he could trust he was determined.

Darren didn't speak at first, but he knew he'd gotten his point across to him. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am."

"School, football, glee, and a job… You won't survive that… and I think you know that," Darren pointed out.

"I could… I have to," Finn nodded.

"Finn…" Darren spoke. Looking at the boy, who wasn't such a boy anymore, he knew his mind was set, no matter what, no matter if he'd be the one hiring him, or someone else. "Only a couple afternoons, okay? And if it gets in the way…" Finn sat up and just nodded along.

"Okay, alright." He paused, breathing out. "Thanks."

They were silent, again, but Finn knew Darren was looking at him. He didn't know what was going through his mind, though he was too busy with his own thoughts to mind. It took a moment before realizing Darren was speaking to him.

"How's your mom doing?" Finn's eye flinched.

"Can we not talk about her?" he asked, looking down to his hands.

"She doesn't know, does she? Have you told her? Talked to her?"

"What is there to say? She wouldn't… I…"

"She's going to find out eventually. Better it comes from you."

"I don't want to upset her… to disappoint her."

"You're a good kid, Finn. And you're showing you're someone she can be proud of, looking out for this girl. But you're still young, and sometimes you need to ask for help, instead of taking everything upon yourself."

Finn was silent, but the words were taking their effect on him.

"If you still need the job, I'll be happy to have you. Just do yourself a favor first… talk to your mother."

After Darren left, Finn went back into the bookstore. Once he'd found the right book, he paid and headed on home. When he arrived, his mother was in the kitchen, working on dinner. He needed more time, so he went into his room.

At first, he tried to just relax, just go about things like it was any other day. But the longer he sat there, the louder Darren's words resonated inside his head. He tried to tell himself it would all go fine…

Then he'd picture in his head the look… the one his mother would get when he'd tell her. He hadn't fooled himself into thinking she'd never find out, it was only that… There was comfort in the truth remaining his own.

Once his mother knew… it would be her truth as well. It would change her world just as much as it had changed his. But Darren was right… He needed help. He needed her help… he needed her.

He walked out of his room, made his way to the kitchen. His mother was filling up their plates, her back turned away, almost as though the universe was giving him one last chance to run away. He didn't take it.

"Mom?"

"Wash your hands, dinner's ready," she spoke, still turned away.

"Mom…" he repeated.

She finally looked at him. Her face grew concerned, seeing how serious his own was.

He took a deep breath, and he spoke.

THE END


End file.
